Local organizations are coming together to discuss how to improve Flint's illiteracy rate of 36 percent. The statewide average is 18 percent.

Figures by the National Institute for Literacy indicate that 21 percent of the adults in Genesee County read at a first grade level.

In honor of National Literacy Month, Mott Community College, as part of the Flint & Genesee Literacy and Basic Skills Network, is sponsoring a conference to partner with a number of local agencies and organizations to improve literacy rates and help people gain additional education and life skills.

The Flint & Genesee Literacy and Basic Skills Summit will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 at Riverfront Banquet Center, located on Saginaw Street in downtown Flint.

The summit will focus on how local institutions and organizations can collectively build the support system necessary to meet the literacy needs of the community.

Keynote speaker is Tracy Collier-Nix, 68th District Court Judge. There will be a panel discussion featuring state leaders from the Michigan Workforce Development Agency, Michigan Department of Human Services, Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Office of Urban & Metropolitan Initiatives.

For more information about the summit or for summit registration, contact Heather Hutchinson at 810-232-4598.